05第9讲Sonnet 18

原来在中古教会的眼里，人不但不是伟大的，而且 是生来有罪的；现在诗人却将他从孽种升到几乎与 天使相等的地位，大胆地表达了英国文艺复兴时期 的人文主义新思想。当时表达这种新思想的不止 Shakespeare 一 人 ， 例 如 另 一 诗 人 Michael Drayton(1563—1631)就曾在也是一首十四行诗里 用这样的两行来结束他对爱人的歌颂：

以上面所选的第十八号而论，前四行算是“起”， 中四行是“承”，都是讲岁月无常，青春难再；后 四行可以说是“转”，因为全诗到此忽然一变，作 者宣告虽然别人美貌难存，他所爱的朋友则将靠他 的诗笔而永保朱颜；最后两行是音韵铿锵(互相押 韵)的小结，亦即是“合”。当然，不是每首 Shakespeare的十四行诗都有这样清楚的起承转合， 但是这种小范围内的曲折变化确是它的特点之一。

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm’d,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimm’d:

Sometimes the Summer sun shines too hot, and his gold complexion is often dimmed [by clouds]. Every beauty will be untrimmed by chance, or untrimmed by nature’s changing course, and will someday decline from its beautWhat makes the poet think that “thou” can be more beautiful [fair] than that of Summer? Sign your names on the group report of the seminar, and the members will share the same credit.

But your eternal beauty shall not fade, nor shall you lose the possession of the beauty you own, nor shall Death brag that you [also] wander in his
shade, once you grow into [my] eternal [poetic]
lines together with time.


So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Your beauty will live on forever, as long as
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
b
a
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed, And every fair from fair sometime declines,

十四行诗在十六世纪的英国曾盛极一时，名家 辈出，上述Wyatt之外，还有Sidney，Spenser， Samuel Daniel等人。但是这种诗体由于范围小而 限制大，题材上歌咏爱情又有一套传统，不易写 得有新鲜意境，在一班附庸风雅的人手里更是只 成为一种时髦的写作练习。 Shakespeare的长处 在于他能利用这一束缚重重的诗体而动人地写出 了真实感情。本诗表达的是“唯有文学可以同时 间抗衡”的思想；文学既是人所创造的业绩，因 此这又是宣告人的伟大与不朽。
b
c d c

By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed: d

But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st, So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
men can breathe or eyes can see, because my poem gives life to you.
Seminar

A small group of advanced students in a college or graduate school engaged in original research or intensive study under the guidance of a professor who meets regularly with them to discuss their reports and findings.

I would like to compare you to a Summer’s day. But you are more lovely and milder, because the rough winds on a Summer’s day shake and damage the darling buds of flowers in May, and the beautiful time in Summer is too short.

意大利原型的十四行诗与此不同，它每行十一 个音节，韵脚的安排是abba abba， cdcdcd，亦 即从结构上说，主要是一个八行组加上一个六行 组。后来英国写十四行诗的人，虽然在每行五个 音步这一点上与Shakespeare一致，在韵脚安排 上则颇有不取Shakespeare型而回到意大利型的， 如Milton，Wordsworth，Keats等都是。
e f f g
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade, e

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
g


十四行诗(the sonnet)是一种形式完整、格律严谨、 以歌咏爱情为主的小诗，十三、四世纪盛行于意大 利，其最主要的代表者为Petrarch(1304---1374)，十 六 世 纪 中 叶 由 Thomas Wyatt 传 人 英 国 ， 至 Shakespeare一代而臻完美。 莎士比亚的十四行诗每行通常有五个“音步”(foot)， 每个音步一般有一轻一重两个音节。全诗韵脚的安 排是abab，cdcd，efef，gg，亦即这十四行可分四 组，即前四行，中四行，后四行和最后两行。每首 诗一般只有一个比较简单的主题，但这种分组情况 也允许它有一些曲折变化。
So shalt thou fly above the vulgar throng， Still to survive in my immortal song． 但是比较起来，还是Shakespeare表达得更加生动。 第十八号有一种朝露似的新鲜，情调优美而又有足 够的思想深度。


Sonnet 18 (paraphrased)

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Selected Readings in British Literature
Unit 2 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
a
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

But thy eternal Summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st, Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st: